Archaeology for Wellbeing For Your Offsites & Retreats By Dr. Celia Orsini
Bring in Dr Celia Orsini to help your team at your next offsite or retreat by connecting them through history, archeology, culture, food and all time.
Founder of Gaia Caecilia – Archaeology for Wellbeing
Honorary Fellow - Durham University
Founder of Gaia Caecilia – Archaeology for Wellbeing
Introducing your dream retreat with the perfect balance of health & hedonism; a euphoric mix of restoring and exploring...
Website
About Celia
Dear all,
As an archaeology consultant, I’ve created a unique set of workshops that use archaeology to improve wellbeing in the workplace. The outcome being: strengthened communication, stress reduction, and productivity boost.
I would love to have my "Archaeology for Well-being" workshops featured on your platform and integrate them into retreat programs. These workshops blend archaeology and modern well-being practices to promote team bonding and improve workplace dynamics. Through hands-on activities, participants explore ancient healing techniques, fostering connection and enhancing collaboration.
Click below for more info:
https://www.archaeology-for-wellbeing.com/
Please let me know if we can schedule a call to discuss collaboration.
Best regards,
Celia Orsini
Workshops for teams ready to form authentic connections with the help of Archaeology for Well-being
Unite teams through workshops that elevate engagement
Dr Celia Orsini
Your facilitator:
Celia, an archaeologist with a keen interest for holistic health. Founder of Archaeology for Wellbeing
Qualifications
PhD and PDRA in Early Medieval Archaeology
Reiki Master
Hand Reflexologist
Naturopath
Areas of Expertise
Researcher in European Archaeology with a specific focus on Early Medieval Funerary Archaeology*
Holistic Wellbeing*
Public Speaker
*Find my publications online on LinkedIn and Academia
About Archaeology Workshops
Archaeology provides a unique pathway to well-being and team bonding. The past is used here to spark conversations and break the cycle of loneliness, misunderstandings, and miscommunications.
My workshops empower participants to learn and understand each other better. By recognizing the profound impact of the past on our identities, we gain the agency to shape our future.
Your program will include…
… a deep dive into archaeology to foster team connections with three universal workshop themes: health, food and nature.
Healing Hands: focus on compassion
This is a walk through the evolution of healing practices intertwines with lessons of a self-hand massage to manage anxiety.
Works to reduce stress pressure and lays clean foundations for team bonding.
Kitchen Identity: focus on identity creation
This is an exploration of who we are and where we come from through an inspection of our pantry and our favourite meal.
Celebrate diversity and unity of your team.
Journey through Space and Time: focus of belonging
This is a walk through the landscape making archaeology and history into histories that create us. Mindfulness meditation, object handling are at the centre of it all.
Discover common grounds through shared discoveries.
How Archaeology for Wellbeing benefit your team
Drawing from core principles of well-being practices - taking notice, learning, and connecting - I craft experiences that promote individual growth and team cohesion.
The workshops are interactive and participatory. While there are segments of guided learning, participants engage in activities and discussions.
What to expect:
Enhanced empathy, diversity, inclusivity
Reduce loneliness and reduce stress
… leading to …
Higher sense of trust and respect
Improved communication and collaboration
Better decision-making and productivity
Do participants need any prior knowledge of archaeology?
No prior knowledge required at all! The workshops are designed to be accessible for everyone. All you need is an open mind.
Ideal group size, durations, and setting etc
Groups of 10 to 15 are ideal. The point is to keep the groups intimate to allow for a full participation but amphitheatre lectures are also possible.
There are three universal themes to discover and a total of six workshops; each workshop ideally lasts two hours, but can be shortened to one hour each if time is an issue. The point is for you to feel free to design your course as much as possible.
Depending on the time-table of your choice four groups can attend per day, one day per theme is ideal.
Where can the workshops take place
With a small group (10-12), the workshops can happen indoors or outdoors. Outdoor course, grass-sitting for example, is an option. Workshop at dinner time is also appreciated particularly for the Cooking History theme; similarly a workshop in a heritage or historical site can be envisaged for the Journey through Space and Time workshops.
Object handling might require a small table.
For larger groups, amphitheatre or lecture room is best, with optional audio-visual support.
How to book
Email me at celia.orsini@hotmail.fr or enquiries.gaia@gmail.com
Schedule a call to discuss the needs of your team.
We'll identify their challenges and tailor the perfect online or in-house workshop experience. Drop me an email, schedule a visio to see who I am in “real-life” but a true old fashion phone-call works too!
Let’s discuss the “How, Where and When”.
Bits of practicality and agreements are next on the list.
We meet on site/online!
At the start of the retreat, we meet to confer and confirm our time and place for each group. I am flexible: things happen and change, don’t fret, I am nothing but adaptable.
Online or in-house, your choice
Everything is customizable upon request: number, themes and frequency of workshops
Long-term collaboration, including weekly or monthly workshops for a year is also an option
Personalised content to fit your team’s unique needs is always at the forefront
Joining the venue retreat network will bring Archaeology for Wellbeing to the next level. My hope is to transmit the true potential of using archaeology and heritage to people and allow them to use their environment and their past to make their life better every day!
Useful info
Dr. Celia Orsini
Founder of Gaia Caecilia – Archaeology for Wellbeing
Telephone: +49 (0) 179 611 4588
Links
https://www.archaeology-for-wellbeing.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/celia-orsini-b15ba295/
https://www.instagram.com/celiagaiacaecilia/
Email me at celia.orsini@hotmail.fr or enquiries.gaia@gmail.com
Case studies
My own work in press on wellbeing and archaeology:
Orsini, C. Promoting well-being through archaeology in professional environments In Barrass, T. 'Well-being Through Archaeology and Heritage: Resolving Therapeutic Unknowns' (in progress)
Further reading that might interest you and that are the foundations of Archaeology For Wellbeing:
Chatterjee, H., Vreeland, S., & Noble, G. 2015. Museopathy: Exploring the Healing Potential of Handling Museum Objects. Museum and Society, 7, p. 164-177. https://journals.le.ac.uk/ojs1/index.php/mas/article/view/145/1597
Darvill, T., Barass K., Drysdale L., Heaslip V., and Staeland Y. 2019 Historic Landscape and Mental Wellbeing, 2019. https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/Products/9781789692686
Everill, P. and Burnell, K. 2022, Archaeology, Heritage, and Wellbeing, Authentic, Powerful, and Therapeutic Engagement with the Past, Routledge
Pennington, A., Jones, R., Bagnall, A.-M., South, J., Corcoran, R. 2018. The impact of historic places and assets on community wellbeing - a scoping review. London: What Works Centre for Wellbeing. https://whatworkswellbeing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Heritage-scoping-review-March-2019-1.pdf
Workshops at your offsites & retreats….
Everywhere I looked, teams were struggling to connect, and traditional team-building workshops just weren’t cutting it anymore. These outdated methods no longer aligned with the evolving dynamics of modern teams.
That’s when I realized the solution was buried in the past. By combining my background in archaeology with modern well-being strategies, I developed workshops that do more than just bring people together—they educate, inspire, and create authentic connections.
When team-building is done right, it’s not a forced activity; it’s a journey of discovery.
And that’s where I come in. Through immersive archaeological experiences, I help teams spark meaningful conversations, forge deeper connections, and ignite enriching dialogue.
This is my mission: to uncover the lessons of the past and use them as a powerful tool to strengthen team bonds in the present.
Types of workshops & FAQ’s
Group Sizes: 5 to 18
Duration: 2 to 5 hours
Locations: Europe
Objective of session:
What to expect:
What type of people and group would this be for?
Contact Celia
Dr. Celia Orsini
Honorary Fellow - Durham University
Founder of Gaia Caecilia – Archaeology for Wellbeing
Member of ArScAn – TranSphere, UMR 7041 Paris 1-La Sorbonne
Website: www.archaeology-for-wellbeing.com
Telephone: +49 (0) 179 611 4588
Email: celia.orsini@hotmail.fr
How can this help your company?
1. Building Stronger Connections Through Shared Discovery
Archaeology for well-being workshops offer a unique and powerful way to foster genuine connections among teams during company offsites and wellness retreats. Unlike traditional team-building activities, which can sometimes feel contrived or forced, these workshops tap into the innate curiosity and collective spirit of discovery. As participants unearth artifacts and explore historical narratives together, they share in the excitement of uncovering the past. This shared experience creates an environment where team members can bond on a deeper level, building trust, understanding, and collaboration in a natural and meaningful way.
2. Promoting Mindfulness and Presence
In today’s fast-paced work environment, it’s easy for teams to become overwhelmed, distracted, or disconnected. Archaeology-based workshops encourage participants to slow down, be present, and engage fully with their surroundings. The careful, deliberate process of excavation and exploration mirrors the principles of mindfulness, helping individuals focus on the present moment and cultivate a sense of calm and awareness. This not only reduces stress but also enhances the overall well-being of the team, making it a perfect addition to company offsites and wellness retreats aimed at improving mental clarity and reducing burnout.
3. Enhancing Problem-Solving and Collaboration Skills
Excavating history isn’t just about digging up objects; it’s about piecing together stories, solving mysteries, and interpreting clues. In archaeology for well-being workshops, participants are challenged to work together to uncover and understand the past, requiring creative thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving. These skills are directly transferable to the workplace, where teams must often navigate complex problems and develop innovative solutions. By engaging in this unique form of team-building, participants strengthen their ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and work cohesively towards shared goals.
4. Inspiring a New Perspective on Leadership and Roles
Archaeological activities offer teams a chance to break away from their usual roles and hierarchies in the workplace. In an excavation or exploration setting, leadership may emerge from unexpected places as team members take turns leading, supporting, and guiding one another. This shift allows individuals to step outside of their comfort zones, develop new leadership skills, and see their colleagues in a fresh light. For companies looking to cultivate innovative leadership and encourage diverse perspectives, archaeology for well-being workshops can be a transformative tool during retreats and offsites.
5. Connecting to a Larger Purpose and History
One of the most impactful elements of archaeology is its ability to connect people to a larger narrative and sense of purpose. By exploring the stories of the past, teams are reminded of the importance of history, culture, and human connection. This can be a powerful motivator for companies aiming to instill a sense of purpose and vision among their employees. At a wellness retreat or company offsite, archaeology for well-being workshops provide a grounding experience, allowing teams to reflect on the bigger picture—both in terms of their own work and the larger contributions they can make to their organization and society.